How To Tackle Tidying Without Giving Up Before You Start

Now you might be asking,  

“Why on earth would I want to tidy up when I could binge watch all 11 seasons of Modern Family?”

The answer is, because it will be good for you.

Clearing up and organizing the space you live in will give you a sense of peace. When you declutter your home, it has the knock-on effect of decluttering your mind. Humans are visual in nature so when we see something in the physical, it’s easier to picture mentally.

How about all the time you’ll be saving? I’m sure we have all spent hours, if not days, looking for something we’ve lost in our own homes. As luck would have it, just after you buy another one of the lost item, it turns up and now you have two. Be honest – how many things in your home are duplicates?

It also doesn’t hurt to get some exercise… oh hang on, that’s not true… it does hurt (sometimes in places you didn’t think it could hurt). But as they say, no pain, no gain. This of course depends on the size of your home and how much you have hoarded over the years. I hear you say, “But I’m not a hoarder”. Ok, I don’t want you to stop reading, so let me rather call it the things you’ve accumulated over the years (that you will definitely need one day soon).

So now that I’ve convinced you to at least think about tidying up, where do you begin?

I’m going to give you 5 tips to get you going…

1. Know your why

Think about why you want to tidy up a space and write it down, e.g. so I have a reading corner, so I have space for my crafts, so my clothes are not bursting out of my wardrobe, etc. Keep it displayed somewhere prominent so you can read it every morning to stay motivated.

2. Clear and sort

Before you start to organize everything you own, get rid of all the things you no longer want or need. The less things you are left with, the quicker and easier it will be to organize. Don’t try to do everything at once – start with one shelf or one drawer. You don’t want to get overwhelmed and stop the process altogether. You can reward yourself after each room is done (or at intervals that will keep you going).

3. Like with like

Categorize items so everything of a particular type are kept together, e.g. tools and DIY materials, underwear and socks, household cleaning equipment and materials, blankets and towels. This helps you to allocate a space to each category of item and will make things much easier to find. It’s less work for your brain (and body) if you know everything you need for a task is in one place.

4. Ease of access

The easier something is to access, the more time you will save (and the more often you will use it). Make sure the things you use often are the easiest to access. The less often you use something, the less accessible it needs to be, e.g. winter clothes can be stored on the top shelf or at the back of a cupboard as you’ll only need to unpack it when it gets colder. There are so many storage systems that help you to maximize and organize your space. A place for everything, and everything in its place.

5. Waste not

There are usually items in the recesses of our cupboards that we don’t even remember we have. Some with expiry dates from decades back! When it comes to items with expiry dates, arrange them in order of expiry so the nearest expiry date is in front or on top. If there’s something you no longer use, sell it or give it away. Find a way to reuse or recycle rather than throw away. Think about it this way, so many things you no longer need could benefit someone else. As they say, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

Well that’s it… 5 tips to get you started on your tidying journey. It doesn’t have to be done in a hurry (unless you’re moving), so take your time and enjoy the process.

Your home should be your happy place, so it’s worth taking the time to make it the very best it can be.

Home sweet home.